Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-07-21-Speech-3-034"
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"en.20040721.1.3-034"2
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"Mr President, I should like to join in the chorus of praise for the Irish Presidency, which has proved that when there is great European inspiration there are no small countries.
On a more specific point, and speaking as a member of the Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism, I should also like to congratulate the Irish Presidency on three of its very important achievements. The first of these is the adoption of the second railways package, the second is the adoption of a very ambitious programme of trans-European transport networks, and the third is the constellation of navigation satellites forming Galileo, the European Global Positioning System. I should like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the Irish negotiators, who showed great savoir-faire and very great skill.
When anyone exercises responsibility, however, there are always grey areas and there are failures. I should like to mention two of them, and to associate myself with all that has been said here about the agreement with the United States on personal data in relation to transatlantic air safety. This agreement is not in line with what Parliament wanted. It is a denial of democracy and we cannot accept it. This agreement represents a risk to human rights and is a manifestation of Europe’s servility towards the United States at a time when the United States is not demonstrating very much openness in relation to human rights and the protection of citizens. In some respects it is contrary to the elementary requirements and the ideals of our European project. Nevertheless I welcome the fact that it was an Irishman, Mr Pat Cox, who tried to expunge this affront to the European Parliament by initiating proceedings before the European Court of Justice.
The second great disappointment is the decision of the ‘competitiveness’ Council to go back on this House’s vote at first reading on the patentability of software. It is unfortunate that you chose to go back on a text which is a credit to the European Parliament, striking, as it in one sense did, a miraculous balance between protecting our industry and guaranteeing the universality of the language of software and the freedom of access to it.
I think that this is a great pity. The ball is, admittedly, in Parliament’s court, but the option chosen is the result of an extremely narrow conception of property and the weight of the industrial lobbies. In all, your Presidency will be remembered as being a great technical presidency but as being slightly less successful as regards social matters, and this is something that is regrettable."@en1
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